Air valve



@Ct 8, y. DUNCAN 2,l6,8l

AIR VALVE Filed NOV. 15, 1935 Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES ini-rialy'r OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention appertains to internal combustion engines and more particularly to novel means for insuring the obtaining of the proper fuel mixture or charge to the engine cylinders under dif- 5 ferent engine operating conditions.

1t is a well-known fact that a large portion of the Valuable energy of the charge is not obtained under ordinary conditions. This is due to a number of diiferent factors. One of the main causes of this loss of energy is due to the improper mixture of the air and gas and the fact that as the speed of the engine increases, fuel consumption increases without the increasing of the mixing air.

t is therefore one of the salient objects of my invention to provide novel means for introducing air into the charge between the carburetor and the intake manifold, so that additional turbulence will be caused to the charge prior to the entrance thereof into the engine cylinders and whereby additional air will be given to support the proper combustion.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of means whereby the amount of air is increased in direct proportion to the increase of the fuel consumption, the carburetor acting under normal condition at engine idling and low speeds.

A further object of my invention is the proivision of a novel valve for controlling the admittance of additional air between the carburetor and the intake manifold, the valve being adapted to be. made as a part of new carburetors or as an independent unit for attachment toexisting carburetors and engines.

A further object of my invention is the pro vision of novel means for actuating the valve from the throttle valve of the carburetor whereby as the throttle valve is opened, the air valve will be automaticallyA opened therewith.

A further object of my invention is the pro vision of novel means for constructing the air valve whereby air from the air cleaner for the carburetor can be utilized, so as to eiectively prevent the entrance or" all dust and dirt into the intake manifold.

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel means for constructing the valve, whereby the same can be initially and manually set for controlling the maximum amount of air delivered to the intake manifold, in accordance with 4different types of engines.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved attachment for internal combustion engines of the above character, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple andeasy to manufacture, and one which can be `placed upon. the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other `objects in View, the in- `5 vention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more speoioally described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which drawinga- 10 Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation showing my improved device incorporated with a con- Ventilafl Cailbllletl- Figure 2 is a Similar view illustrating one means of incorporating my device between a convenp- 15 tional carburetor and an intake manifold.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through my improved valve.

iiigure e isa side elevation of my improved valve 4with the air sleeve removed to illustrate 20 structural detail, lparts of the casing being shown broken away.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of my improved valve illustrating the use of the operating link for some types of ycarburetors. 25 'Referring te the drawing in detail, wherein Similar ,reierenoe characters designate the oorresponding parts throughout the several views, the 16T/13er A Sgiillerllly IldCaeS 2' COBVSIlOIlal carburetor for supplying the Afuel charge or mix- 30 ture 'to an intake manifold M.

carburetor A can be of any preferred type or character, and either the down-draft or updra-it type. As shown, the same embodies a throttie valve il! provided with en-operatineT bell Crank 35 li. @ne erm of the v,bell `crank has attached thereto an operating rod i2 leading from the foot pedal. Another arm I3 of the bell crank extends laterally from the carburetor rfor a purpose. which will. later set forth. An ,air lcleaner lil of any 40 desired type can be utilized vfor supplying air to the carburetor Secured directly to the carburetor is my improved device B for Supplying the desired eddie tional air to the engine between the carburetor 45 A .and the intake manifold My improved device 13 comprises essentially a novel valve mechanism which includes a valve casing l5 havinga Cylindrical side wall lo and an end wall I1, the end wall Il is left open, for a purpose, which will be later set forth. Formed on the end wall vIl is a threaded lnipple 18, whereby the `sanriecan be conveniently connected with the outlet of the carburetor. The cylindrical side wall I 6 of the 55 The .opposite .end of the casing .from 50,`

casing is provided adjacent to its opening with a guide slot I9 and a series of spaced air openings 2D. This row of air openings 20 parallels the guide slot I9.

Rotatably mounted within the casing is a cylindrical valve plug 2l having a longitudinal bore 22. The inner end of the bore is enlarged to provide an air chamber 24 and the outer small end of the bore has its wall threaded for the reception of the threaded stem of a needle valve 25. A portion of the valve plug extends beyond the open end of the casing I5 and this portion has rigidly secured thereto a pulley or like wheel 26.

An annular valve seat ring 21 is shrunk into the chamber 24 and the needle valve is adapted to be moved toward and away from this seat by suitable adjustment. As shown, the needle valve is provided with a head 28 whereby the same can be conveniently turned and an expansion spring is placed around the stern of the needle valve between the head 28 and the valve plug for holding the needle valve in an adjusted position and against accidental displacement.

The outer face of the valve plug carries a pin 3l) received in the guide slot I9 of the casing which limits the turning movement of said plug and the displacement thereof from the casing. An air entrance slot 3I is also formed in the valve plug and this air entrance slot is in radial alinement with the row of air openings 20. Normally, the plug is set so that the slot 3I does not register with the openings whereby to prevent the entrance of air into the valve. As the plug is gradually rotated, the slot uncovers the openings and obviously, as more of the openings are uncovered, a greater quantity of air will be admitted into the casing.

I have provided novel means for operating the Valve and this means embodies a flexible pull chain 33 placed around the pulley 26. The chain is anchored to the pulley by any desired means such as a screw 34. One end of the chain depends from the pulley and is connected to the outer end of the arm I3 of the bell crank I I and thus, as the arm moves down, a pull will be exerted on the chain to rotate the said valve plug and thus uncover the air entrance openings 20.

In order to insure the return of the valve plug to its normal position, a contractile coil spring is utilized. This coil spring 35 has one end anchored to the screw 34 or to a link of the chain adjacent to said screw 34, while the opposite end of the spring is connected to an intermediate portion of the chain, preferably at a point adjacent to the operating bell crank forrthe throttle Valve.

I prefer to provide means for insuring the delivery of clean air to the air chamber 24 of the valve and in order to accomplish this, I provide a sleeve or barrel 36. This sleeve or barrel 36 is slipped over spaced bearing rings 31, which may or may not be formed integral with the outer surface of the valve casing. Secured to or formed on the sleeve 355 between the bearing rings 3l is a nipple 38 having detachably connected thereto by means of a coupling 39 an air conducting pipe 4U. This air conductor pipe 40 is tapped into the outlet of the air cleaner I4. Thus, clean air is taken from the air cleaner and is delivered to the interior of the sleeve 36, and this sleeve houses the air entrance openings 20.

By referring to Figure 3 of the drawing, it will be noted that the inner face of the pulley wheel 26 is counter-bored for receiving the outer end of the sleeve. The suction created by the engine draws the air into the manifold and tends to draw the valve plug and the pulley toward the inner 5 end of the casing to form an air-tight connection.

If preferred, the inner face of the pulley wheel 26 can be provided with pockets for the reception of bearing balls 4I, which ride against the outer end of the valve casing I5. This facilitates the easy l0 turning of the valve plug.

In operation of my improved device, when it is desired to increase the speed of the engine, the throttle valve is opened, which turns the valve plug through the medium of the mechanism de- 15 scribed above. Thus, additional air is sucked into the fuel charge stream between the carburetor and the intake manifold. This air be comes thoroughly mixed with the charge and insures that the proper amount of air be delivered 20 in accordance with the rate of fuel consumption My device can be built as an independent unit to permit the installation thereof on existing automobiles and as shown in Figure 2, the valve can be connected to a gasket 45 which gasket can 25 be bolted between the intake manifold and the carburetor.

In some makes of carburetors, it may be advisable to eliminate the pull chain and spring 35 and in such instances an operating link 46 can be 30 employed. As shown in Figure 5, the link 45 can be -connected to the wheel 26 and then to the throttle valve.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided novel means for supplying 35 additional air to the intake manifold in direct accordance to the suction in the intake manifold and the fuel consumption.

Changes in details may be made without def parting from the spirit or the scope of this invenn 40 tion, but what I claim as new is:-

An air valve for supplying additional air to the fuel charge stream of a carburetor, comprising a stationary casing including a cylindrical side wall and one end wall, an attaching end inlet 45 nipple formed on the end wall, said side wall havring a circumferentially extending row of air inlet openings, a valve plug rotatably mounted within the casing having an axial bore provided with an enlargement defining an interior air chamber, 50 the plug having a circumferentially extending slot communicating with said chamber, the slot being normally out of registration with the row of openings, means for rotating the valve plug for uncovering said air openings, a sleeve having 55 an air intake carried by said casing and housing said row of air entrance openings, a valve seat carried at the inner end of said chamber directly in front of the nipple, a manually adjustable needle valve received in the bore and extending 60 through the chamber and movable toward and away from said seat and having a head disposed exteriorly of the valve plug, said means for 'rotating the valve plug including a Wheel carried directly by said plug for engagement with the edge 5 5 of the side wall of the casing and having a groove for receiving the sleeve, the suction through the nipple normally tending to draw the valve plug inwardly with the wheel against the sleeve and casing side wall, and anti-friction bearings disposed between said casing side wall and the wheel.

VIRGIL DUNCAN 

